Glencadam Gold gets the chance to boost his prospects of a berth in the major Cups in Melbourne when he lines up in the Newcastle Cup on Thursday.
The imported Glencadam Gold has just 50kg in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and needs to win or run a place to pass the first elimination clause for the Melbourne Cup.
Glencadam Gold winning the Listed Premier's Cup at Rosehill - Photo by Steve Hart
Victory would make him eligible for a Caulfield Cup penalty should he convert favouritism in the Group Three Newcastle Cup (2300m).
Last year’s Newcastle Cup winner Green Moon received a half kilo penalty for his win and after sneaking into the Caulfield Cup field went on to finish second to Southern Speed.
Glencadam Gold was at 113 in the Melbourne Cup order of entry released on Wednesday.
He made his Australian debut when he notched a narrow victory in a midweek event at Canterbury last month.
“You might have seen your Caulfield Cup horse here today,” Waterhouse said after that midweek event.
An on-pace win in the Listed Premier’s Cup (1800m) followed for Glencadam Gold on September 1, and the import is the even-money favourite to maintain his unbeaten run in Australia on Thursday.
Waterhouse has won the Newcastle Cup four times with Emerald Cut (1997), Agincourt Express (2001), Bianca (2008) and Stratofortress (2010).
The trainer claimed one of the two features on the opening day of the two-day Newcastle carnival on Wednesday, with promising three-year-old Proisir a dominant winner of the Spring Stakes.
While Waterhouse has spoken of Melbourne ambitions for Glencadam Gold, trainer Stephen Farley would be thrilled if Gazza Guru could claim the Newcastle feature after a close second to the Waterhouse-trained Julienas in the Wyong Cup last start.
Gazza Guru was held up at a vital stage in the Wyong Cup before bursting through late to miss by a head.
Third in last year’s Newcastle Cup, Gazza Guru’s hopes of claiming this year’s renewal hinge on race tempo.
“We need genuine speed on (to be a chance),” said Farley, who is in Melbourne with stable star Sincero.
“If they sit up and sprint home that is probably going to suit the horse of Gai’s (Glencadam Gold).
“Hopefully there is some genuine speed in the race and that would help us.
“Glencadam Gold beat us in the Premier’s Cup (when Gazza Guru was eighth) but he did get some easy sectionals up front and that took the backmarkers out of play.”
